I am very excited to be able to announce the further expansion of AFS into the community of Rochester Hills, MI. This expansion is another exciting step that aligns with one of our core objectives— to bring the science of exercise to the population at large. That said, east side here we come!
Jared Freeman set to own/operate AFS Rochester Hills
One of the most rewarding parts of my job is the development of my staff, and the single most rewarding developmental event is when someone has earned the privilege to ascend from staff or manager to a business partner. Much like Devin in Plymouth, Jared will manage AFS Rochester Hills as an owner-operator, and a business partner of mine in the location. As I reflect on this next step, a popular saying comes to mind: “things in life have a way of coming full circle.” As fate would have it, Rochester Hills is exactly where my relationship with Jared started. The story starts back in 2008, shortly after I opened AFS in Ann Arbor. I was teaching a course as a grad assistant at Oakland University and I had one particularly engaged student. He would show up everyday with his perfectly spiked hair and his big jug of water and he asked more questions than anyone else..but they were really good questions! Time went on and the semester ended with me deciding to move on from OU and focus 100% on building AFS. Something stuck with me about that kid though, he had the same glimmer in his eye when he talked about exercise as I’ve been known to have.
Fast forward a year later, I got a response from an Oakland University graduate to a practitioner job posting I had put up. Although I admit I didn’t put 2 and 2 together right away, It was from Jared! A week later that same spiky haired kid from class was standing in my office interviewing to be one of the very first fitness practitioners at AFS. Needless to say, he got the job! From that point forward Jared has shaped what the title (fitness practitioner) truly means in the AFS system. Hard work, dedication, a commitment to continuing education, and above all, he truly CARES. I can teach science, but I can’t teach passion…I can tell you with certainty that if Jared won the lottery tomorrow he would still be up at 4am on Friday answering your fitness questions and grading your food logs, he’d probably just have a nicer pair of Nikes on 😉 ! This notion makes me as his boss feel like I’m the one who hit the lottery. I’ve been truly lucky to share the journey with Jared and I can’t wait for the next chapter.
Come next year, Jared and his team are going to make waves in Rochester Hills. His passion and leadership will guide AFS Rochester Hills in the same manner that I have in Ann Arbor, and Devin has in Plymouth. Congratulations Jared! You deserve it.
Technical Note
Clients assigned to Jared will be progressively transitioned and paired with a new practitioner in the next 6-8months. Much like with Devin’s client transfers, we have taken great care to ensure the transition is handled efficiently, and there is continuity in the high-quality service that you’ve come to expect.
Site Selection
The analytical process for selecting Rochester Hills was very similar to how we selected our Plymouth location (albeit with a little refinement from what we learned in selecting Plymouth). The Rochester Hills location is located on Rochester Rd. and Avon, in a 17,500 square foot building directly behind Dick’s Sporting Goods. Much like Plymouth, we will be able to build the Rochester location to meet our specific needs. More details will be released as they become available including membership information, employment opportunities, etc.
Rochester Hills is tentatively scheduled to open in the fall of 2016. Please be on the lookout for a definitive opening date!
Our Promise
As we experienced with the opening of Plymouth, a new facility raises questions, and in some cases concern. I truly believe that our expansion has only served to enhance our quality of service, and that the client experience is better today than it was a year ago. Additional facilities also bring additional personnel and financial resources to drive organizational and system development. Now that we have a third location to help contribute to this development, it will continue to strengthen our systems and our team. We’re committed to not only growing, but getting better at everything we do every year.
Thanks to Clients
I would be remiss if I didn’t again acknowledge you, our clients, in this expansion. None of our growth is possible without your patronage, support, and commitment to our mission. I said this with the opening of Plymouth and I am compelled to say it again now. We take this next step WITH all of you, and BECAUSE of all of you.
On behalf of Jared and our entire team, thank you for your support. You are helping us change communities and change lives – you should all be commended for that.
Yours in Health,
Mike
